Strip handling device



7, 1956 F. J. MIDDLESTADT 2,757,736

STRIP HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I! 20 2| .&

JNVENTOR. F250 J MIDDLE-577107,"

7, 1956 F. .1. MIDDLESTADT 2,757,736

STRIP HANDLING DEVICE INVENTOR.

FEED J. fif/aoz. E67A07".

Aug. 7, 1956 F. J. MIDDLESTADT 2,757,736

STRIP HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTUR HeapZNmmaasmar flrrolewe United States Patent STRIP HANDLING DEVICE Fred J.Middlestadt, Baltimore, Md. Application January 24, 1952, Serial No.268,093

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-102) This invention relates to material handlingdevices and more particularly to those used to carry finished materialaway from punch presses and the like.

While many arrangements have been suggested, designed and put inpractice for the elimination of the manual handling of Venetian blindslats, after they have been operated on by the punch presses, the actualresults have been wholly unsatisfactory, because all the devicesmutilated the slats and scratched the paint therefrom. At the presenttime the material is painted, rolled and carried to the press, where itis cut to the proper lengths and holes are punched in them for the cordsetc. but in all known instances the cut and shaped material is removedfrom the press by hand.

This invention avoids the manual handling of the finished slats and thedefacing thereof and substitutes an automatic strip handling device tograsp the slot as soon as the press operations have been completed, andto carry it away from the press before the following slat enters thedevice.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a new and improvedmaterial handling device for automatically removing venetian blind slatsfrom a slat forming device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improvedmaterial handling device that will automatically bring the slat infrictional contact with a speeding roller at predetermined intervals toconvey the material, while preventing burning the paint from the slatduring the moving of said slat.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the invention ismore fully set forth.

For a clearer understanding of the invention and the objects thereof,reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein a particularform of the invention is indicated. These drawings, when used inconjunction with the following description serve to illustrate theinvention, its principles and the operation thereof, while the claimsindicate the scope thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of an automatic material handling deviceembodying this invention, with parts broken away to show its interiorconstruction;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is en end view showing the material entering the side of thedevice shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end view showing the material discharge side of thedevice shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an isometric view showing a punch press and the materialhandling device in operative relation to each other;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic wiring diagram showing the preferredelectrical connections used between the press and material handlingdevice; and

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the side member showing the guide pinoperating in the slot to move the slider and stop arm down and away fromthe end of the table.

2,757,736 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 Similar reference numerals indicate thesame parts throughout the drawings.

In the construction shown in the drawings a base 10 supports a motor 11used to rotate a roller 12 preferably of a resilient material tofrictionally contact a Venetian blind slat 13 at predetermined intervalsand move it rapidly away from a punch press 35 or other device thehandler operates with.

A bracket 14 is mounted on the base 10 and pivotally supports one end ofa table 15 at one end by a pin 16, so that the unsupported end 34 of thetable will normally drop to allow the roller 12 to project through acutout portion 17 in the table and frictionally contact the slat I3 andmove italong the table away from the machine it operates with in amanner to be explained later. The table 15 is provided with a guide slot18 to guide the slat 13 edgewise, while the projections 19 at the top ofthe slot 18 prevent the slat from rising out of the guide slot. Thetable is normally supported above the top of the motor roller 12, by anadjusting screw 20, which merely contacts the free end of the table, asshown in Fig. 2, and which is adjustable in an arm 21 attached to aslider 22 that reciprocates between guides 23 attached to side members24. A switch arm 25 is pivotally connected to the slider 22 and whendepressed by the oncoming slat 13 it closes a switch 26. The switch arm25' is normally kept in an extended position by a spring 27 allowing theswitch 26 to remain normally open. Springs 28 keep the slider 22 andtable 15 in raised position until lowered by a link 29 connected to asolenoid 30. Guide pins 46:: are attached to the sides of the slider 22and are guided in slots 47 positioned in the side members 24 and pullthe slider and switch arm 25, up and towards the stopped slat 13 tostart the operation of the machine. A bridge member 31 attached to thetable 15 supports a tensioning roller 32 having an adjustable pressureapplicator 33 for controlling the pressure applied to the slats 13 asthey pass over the motor roller 12. The upper ends of the slots 47 limitthe upward movement of the slider and the parts carried thereby. Inraised position, the top of the slider projects slightly above the freeor unpivoted end of the table into the path of an oncoming slat orstrip.

A button 37 extends through a slot, in one of the projections 19, intothe guide slot 18. The button is secured to the outer end of a rod 39and a spring 41, as shown in Fig. 3, surrounds the outer end of the rod39. The spring reacts against a part of the bridge member and urges therod outwardly to permit the relay hold switch to be held normally open.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 5 includes a punch press 35 and the slator strip handling device, already described. The punch press is locatedadjacent to said device and includes a trough in alinement with theguide slot 18. The arrangement operates as follows:

A slat or other similar strip to be operated upon is slid through thetrough in the punch press and into the guide slot 18, until the forwardend of such strip touches the switch arm 25 and closes switch 26. Suchcontact momentarily stops further travel of the strip. As said end ofthe strip approaches the switch arm 25, it engages button 37 anddepresses rod 39, thereby closing relay switch 40. Assuming that themain switch 42 has been closed, motor 11 will be running and rotatingroller 12. Closing of switch 26 closes a relay 44 and thereby causes onerevolution of a crankshaft (not shown) in the punch press. Such rotationof the crankshaft causes the plungers in the punch press to reciprocateand perforate the strip portion in the trough of said press. A cam 36,aflixed to the crankshaft, turns with the latter and the dwell portionof the cam is moved away from relay switch 43 and the high portion ofthe cam closes said switch. Closing of switch 43 energizes the solenoidof stop relay 46 and through the latter causes the solenoid 30 to beenergized. Solenoid 30 now pulls the slider downwardly out of the pathof the strip. As the slider 22 is lowered, the free end of the tableswings downwardly slightly until the underside of the strip engagesroller 12. Such engagement, even in the absence of members 31, 32 and33, would force the strip against members 19 and stop further downwardswinging of the table. However, proper tensioning of the spring shown inthe pressure applicator 33 assists the roller 12 in so supporting table15, through contact with the strip, that the latter may pass through theguide slot without having the edges of the strip marred by contact withthe elements 19. After the strip, due to the lowering of the top of theslider and the parts carried thereby out of its path, has passed throughthe guide slot 18, spring 41 moves rod 39 outwardly with respect torelay switch 40 and as a result solenoid 30 is deenergize-d and springs28 raise the slider 22 and consequently table to their originalpositions. Of course, any strip or slat in guide slot 18 will preventoutward movement of rod 39 and opening of relay switch 40.

At the end of each revolution of the crankshaft of the punch press, thedwell portion of cam 36 comes opposite the switch 43 and allows thelatter to open. A new cycle of operation of the apparatus shown in Fig.5 may then be initiated by pushing a slat or other strip through thetrough of the punch press and the guide slot 18 until further travel ofthe strip is stopped by contact of the leading end thereof with theswitch arm and depression of the latter to close switch 26.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification, it is not desired to limit thisapplication for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciatedthat other forms of construction could be made that would use the sameprinciples and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed l. A strip handlingdevice adapted to remove a slatlike strip from a machine which hasperformed work on such strip; said device comprising a base; a motor anda roller carried by said base, said roller being coupled to said motorfor rotation thereby; a bracket projecting upwardly from said base; atable pivotally supported at one end by said bracket and having a freeend; a pair of parallel projections carried by and cooperating with thetop of the table to form a guide slot across said top; said table havingan opening therein registering with said slot and located to overliesaid roller and, upon downward movement of the free end of the table, topermit said roller to project therethrough into said guide slot; a pairof parallel members, projecting upwardly from said base slightly beyondsaid free end of the table; a slider; means resiliently supporting saidslider from said parallel members for reciprocation therebtween; guidemembers carried by said parallel members for guiding said slider duringsuch reciprocation; support means pro jecting from said slider andremovably engaging the free end of said table for raising the table toits uppermost position; a switch carried by said slider; a switch closermovable to close said switch, said switch closer being carried by saidslider at the top thereof and arranged to extend above the free end ofthe table at the end of said guide slot when the slider is in itsuppermost position; a relay switch supported from said base in aposition along side a side edge of said table; a switch rod carried bysaid table and having one end resiliently projectable into said guideslot to be depressed by a strip therein, the opposite end of said rodbeing adapted, when the rod is depressed, to close said relay switch; asolenoid connected with said slider to lower the same, to remove saidswitch closer from its position at the end of the guide slot anddisengage said support means from the free end of said table; andcurrent conducting means connecting the relay switch to said solenoid.

2. A device of the type set forth in claim 1, which includes a bridgemember carried by said table, a roller; and means connecting the lastmentioned roller to said bridge and holding the last mentioned roller inposition to exert pressure on the top of a strip having its bottom sideengaged by the first mentioned roller.

3. A device of the type set forth in claim 2, which includes means foradjusting the pressure exerted by the last mentioned roller on the topof the strip.

4. The combination, with a punch press, of a strip handling devicearranged to remove strips from said press after the latter hasperforated such strips; said press including a casing; a crankshaft insaid casing; plunger means connected to said crankshaft forreciprocation thereby; a cam mounted on said crankshaft and positionedexteriorly of said casing; and a trough for receiving strips to beperforated by said plunger means; said strip handling device including abase; a motor and a roller mounted on said base, said roller beingconnected to said motor for rotation thereby; a table having one endpivotally connected to said base and having a free end; means carried bysaid table for cooperating with the top thereof to form a guide slot inalinement with the trough of said press; a slider; a pair of parallelmembers projecting upwardly from said base; springs suspending saidslider from said parallel members for reciprocation therebetween in aplane slightly beyond that of the free end of the table; support meansprojecting from said slider and detachably engaging the free end of thetable; a switch; a switch closer carried by said slider for movementfrom a first position extending slightly above the free end of the tableat a point near the end of said slot to a second position below the topof said table clear of the guide slot; a relay; means supporting saidrelay from said base at a location alongside one of the side edges ofsaid table; a switch rod carried by said table and having one endresiliently projectable into said guide slot for depression by a striptherein, said rod having its opposite end arranged to close said relaywhen the rod is depressed; a solenoid carried by said base and connectedto said slider for drawing the latter downwardly to withdraw the switchcloser from the path of a strip in said guide slot; current conductingmeans connecting said relay to said solenoid; a switch having theopening and closing thereof controlled by said cam; a holding relayconnected to the last mentioned switch and to the first mentioned relay;said table having an opening therein arranged to overlie said rollerwhen the table is in its uppermost position and to permit the projectionof the roller into the guide slot when the table is lowered; said switchcloser in its upper position being adapted to stop the travel of a stripthrough said trough and said guide slot to position such strip forperforation by said plunger means and then initiate a sequence involvinga revolution of said crankshaft and the closing by said cam of theswitch controller thereby, the energizing of the holding relay, theenergizing of the relay connected to the solenoid and pulling by saidroller of the perforated strip from the punch press.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS888,831 Martin May 26, 1908 1,328,809 Bates Jan. 27, 1920 1,874,296Huntsberger Aug. 30, 1932 1,896,657 Bacheller Feb. 7, 1933 2,081,386Storck May 25, 1937 2,282,127 Gabbert May 5, 1942 2,503,994 Bottos Apr.11, 1950 2,549,560 Archer Apr. 17, 1951

